[T]his isn’t your usual fanboy rant, this is an epic, well-edited well-constructed piece of geek film criticism. In fact, the way I learned about the video was from Lost co-creator and Star Trek producer Damon Lindelof, who said “Your life is about to change. This is astounding film making. Watch ALL of it.”I haven't watched ALL of it, and I don't know if it could work for someone who has never had to sit through the horrible movie that is its target, but I loved the first 30 seconds and I love the idea of a film about another film and the idea of a work of art that is entirely about how bad another work of art is.
December 18, 2009
I never even saw "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace."
In fact, I stopped watching "Star Wars" movies after "The Empire Strikes Back," but I'm nevertheless fascinated by this 70-minute video review of "Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace."
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26 comments:
If you only saw the first two "Star Wars" films, that's fine. You saw the two good ones.
A big part of being an SF fan is knowing when to quit.
Stop at The Empire Strikes Back, don't watch 2010, don't read any of the Dune sequels, and don't watch the last two Star Trek series.
Sometimes authors are the same way. Damned if I can think of anything good Heinlein wrote after The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, for example. Some authors have a certain number of good stories in them, and then they are done. It's best to walk away rather than endure the rest.
One day, I'm going to write a 70-page review of Althouse wherein I demonstrate that you should just read MetaFilter, since that's where about half of these posts are stolen from.
http://www.metafilter.com/user/78000
At least give them credit, Ann. Can you not even be bothered to watch more than 30 seconds of the thing you linked?
Lame.
The review is awesome, and the reviewer is extremely talented both in his critique and the hilarity with which it's delivered.
And yes, I did watch all 70 minutes of it (and two other reviews by the same reviewer).
Here is the YouTube Channel link to RedLetterMedia:
http://www.youtube.com/user/RedLetterMedia
I'm gonna stop after the first segment, but I love the use of feigned ignorance on the part of the narrator.
"The prota gon ist."
Brilliant.
There's a bit borrowed from a Horatio Sans -- the guy who goes overboard with examples in his sentences.
Yeah the narrator's assumed dufus-ness combined with good editing is funny.
@Florida I didn't get this post from Metafilter. The link was emailed to me by someone who reads the thing that I linked to. I often get things from Metafilter, though, and I always link to it when I do.
And the YouTube link that you thought should be posted in your comment is in fact *linked in the original post.*
(That is, the Part 1 YouTube page is linked, not the channel page. Really, my point is, Florida, your criticisms of me are inapt.)
"...Florida, your criticisms of me are inapt."
and inept.
OMG his serial killer basement in part 2.
Do I need a reason not to do work.
I watched the first episode of the critique, and it's hilarious.
"Florida, your criticisms of me are inapt [sic]. ... And the YouTube link that you thought should be posted in your comment is in fact *linked in the original post.*
No, it is not.
You didn't link the author of the review, or his YouTube Channel. You linked Slashfilm.com. I'm sure their advertisers appreciate it.
I think my criticism is completely apt.
..and Part II is great also. He makes great points.
But really, I'm gonna work. Now.
"Your life is about to change."
That is one of the Seven Warning Signs of Obsessive Fanboy Bullshit Syndrome.
Metafilter? Simon Pegg tweeted this (and I saw another link saying it was "Simon Pegg approved", heh).
It is a devastating critique. And I actually liked The Phantom Menace. Granted, I was coming at it with the lowest of expectations, but I thought it was an okay kids movie.
A guy who had just seen "Phantom Menace" for the first time said "Jar Jar must die." True enough.
Darth Maul needed more screen time.
In fact, I stopped watching "Star Wars" movies after "The Empire Strikes Back,"
Good call.
The amount of humor to come out of Star Wars is pretty amazing.
Vader messing with General Veers. (Ignore the two times Piett shows up.)
John Lynch: "Damned if I can think of anything good Heinlein wrote after The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, for example."
Time Enough for Love was good in parts. Job was okay.
I watched the entire thing last night. While I laughed quite a bit, I realized how stupid I am for not noticing how incredibly DUMB the whole movie was.
Proto-ganist, pro-to-jinist, pro℥ℌℑℭℜ ha ha ha, that kills me.
If you liked this, and are a geek, you'll almost certainly like Darths and Droids.
I loved it.. this review ;)
I watched the whole thing last night and it's great. I see movies exactly the same way. I also wonder about all the people who think that Batman movie with Keith Ledger was good:
I dare anyone to explain the plot of that mess.
Now, excuse me while I head back down to "the basement",....
Totally agree on Star Wars. First 2 are GREAT; the rest are bunk. "The Empire Strikes Back" is as satisfying emotionally as it is visually and that is a very, very difficult thing to accomplish.
So will he start deconstructing Avatar next? Because it needs it.
Avatar in one word: Smurfahontas. Okay, this has spoilers.
My eight year old (a huge fan of Transformers, etc., etc.) said he was "bored" seeing in in IMAX 3d. I was mildly entertained by the "blue" U.S. Olympic women's volleyball team of female scantilly clad aliens but beyond that felt like I was watching a well made video game. So let me say with a movie with this many special effects, mostly well done, something is missing. I would suggest it is orginal writing and suspense.
Can someone explain the physics of mountains floating in the sky? Oh wait, I digress...
I have no problem with the Dances With Wolves story line when it is well done (and Dances With Wolves was not that well done a film). Jerimah Johnson, Last of the Mohicans, A Man Called Horse, even Outlaw Josie Wales pulled that off, however, to some degree, and those are good films. Guys like Cammeron love The Searchers, as do I, but the reason we do is because that film explores themes of racism and hate fairly from both sides and does not pull any punches. I also do not mind the whole let's save the planet eco friendly gaia message, provided I am not repeated beaten with it like I am a baby harp seal on the ice. Cammeron has about about as much subtlety with that theme as one of his CGF alien rhino beasts crashing through the underbrush of Pandora.
I am sure it will make money. I dig the attention to detail on the little CGF bugs, ecosystem, etc., but it could have been a lot better if Cammeron just spent some more time writing a better script. The actors, who have some talent, have to dial it in given the lines they are given.
I did catch that comment by Col Quatraine about "betraying your race." That is obviously a gift to Lefty* hacks out there. Of course the protagonist is a white male, who bonds and mates with the blue chick (without any permission from her parents), and then takes over the tribe (because the blue men do not have the...whatever...to get the job done either with their own ladies, the "sky people", or even riding the giant flying gecko). Perhaps Cammeron is the one who is a wee bit racist?
Well here is another observation: Notice that Cammeron's world of corporate mercinary villians are all populated by former U.S. Military? There are references to actions in Venezuela and Nigeria. There is not a Russian, Chi-Com, African, Asian, or for that matter European to be seen (I did not see that many African Americans mercs either, what's with that Jimmy C.?--(NOT cool dude, not cool at all. Okay, you are mostly intending to be "good", so all is forgiven. xoxo The Left).
So I can take it back on Earth in 2154, the Americans and the USMC won? Uoooogh-Rah!
* By "Lefty" I mean it in a more knee jerk generic hack "Gaia good, white patriarchy bad" sense. Obviously there are people from the left and right political view points who can make a great movie or even a great science fiction story or movie.
Please, please do not let Cammeron or some other lefty leaning ar-teast mess up The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress. That would be heartbreaking.
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